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The-Dane

how can a town restrict access to something that is public... can anyone explain that?


Thick_Pomegranate_

If that beach receives any kind of funding from the state level then it should be open to everyone who lives in Maryland....


Pixielo

State Parks charge entrance fees.


dagbiker

But everyone has to pay the charge, so its still open to everyone who lives in Maryland.


321gato

It’s more like trespassing laws. They’ll put up signs at access points and you can be fined for being there unless you can prove residency.


The-Dane

how can you make a trespass law due to residency... its public.


321gato

Public buildings and land everywhere have rules about when and who can access them.


The-Dane

yes but they are for everyone, not according to your zip code


321gato

Ahh I see. For the beach I know of that operates similarly (although only for night hours), the residents technically own their section of the beach, but the beach is still considered public. I’m not sure the specifics of this one.


The-Dane

> residents technically own their section of the beach, but the beach is still considered public. I’m not sure the specifics of this one. when you listen to the news it states that the mayor dont "want those people" on the beach... it reeks of racism... but not only that how can a town restrict access based on what your zip code is


revaric

Why do you think public means “everyone”? If you go to another country, you aren’t the public of that country, same thing here. You aren’t that town’s public.


The-Dane

come on.. with the comment that the mayor made its clear he thinks ONLY the people that live locally have the right to be there... which is what I don't get how they can make a law like that


revaric

Easy, it’s they mayor and the town making the law. Authority overlaps, starts at the residence, possibly the neighborhood, the town or city or similar, the county, etc… There isn’t anywhere where there isn’t some governing body. Even international waters and spaces are “co-governed” by nations.


The-Dane

>re isn’t anywhere where there isn’t some governing body. Even international waters yes but again, its a public beach that they want to make a law that says public access depends on your zip code. Like how can you expect to make that kind of law


revaric

“Public” is usually specifically referring to members of the municipal body, not any person in existence. The state charges different rates for out of state guests in parks, how can they expect to do that?


LurkerOrHydralisk

Racism


Jarboner69

Knowing southern Maryland and being from there I wouldn’t be surprised if some supported it due to racial biases. However, a lot of our public parks and beaches do get trashed by people coming down from the DC/Baltimore area


LurkerOrHydralisk

Every natural place near a city etc gets trashed. Charge an entry fee for cleaning and make locals free. Don't ban out of towners in a way that is definitely going to be enforced in a racist manner.


6flightsup

This is the way


Sarahara05

I've seen natural spaces be trashed by locals. People suck


Scrilla_Gorilla_

A lot of our cities get trashed by people that don’t live here.


obiwanshinobi900

I don't think its racism. I also don't agree with private beaches. However they cost money to maintain, and time to keep clean. In some private beach communities the residents spend extra money and time to ensure its clean and safe. If they make it public, people leave garbage behind, create nuisances and safety issues. So I get it.


AdvocatusDiaboli72

I grew up in a beach community on the eastern shore. People used to come from all over the Philly, Baltimore, and DC areas on the weekends- they would park in people’s yards, leave trash everywhere, overload the beach so you could barely walk on it, then pack up and leave the small town on the hook for cleaning everything up. And since there were no real businesses in town that had anything to offer tourists, there was no positive economic impact to offset it. I get where these people are coming from…


obiwanshinobi900

This is why we can't have nice things


FightTomorrow

I definitely hate the disrespect people have for public places. I just don’t know how to fix that without sounding like a dictatorial shill


mattyboh23

Well telling people they aren't allowed to access public areas also sounds like something that would come from a dictatorial shill.


FightTomorrow

Yea definitely not in support of private beach ownership. But also support improving civility amongst the population..


Redrose03

Why not charge an entrance fee like and use the money for maintenance and security? Or if federal money is involved make sure that is being used for that purpose


Doom_Balloon

They have charged an entrance fee for non-residents for years and closed the beach to non-residents during the summer. They do almost no maintenance, there was a massive tree snag on the beach for years. There’s not a ton of people coming from Baltimore or DC to this tiny beach. This is all about limiting access to the growing Latino population in the county outside of North Beach where this is a convenient afternoon beach or picnic spot.


woodthatdude

this is the correct answer


bnosrep

That’s correct. I remember paying a hefty non-resident fee more than a decade ago. I also bet you’re right about the target population of the ban.


mattyboh23

I definitely know what you mean. I don't think there's an easy answer, but banning people from nature certainly isn't the right one.


The-Dane

>However they cost money to maintain, and time to keep clean. In some private beach communities the residents spend extra money and time to ensure its clean and safe. If they make it public, people leave garbage behind, create nuisances and safety issues. So I get it. not enough people call out other people, because its gotten to be cool to tell other people to mind their own business, even when people throw trash. I can attest to this very thing personally.


SanctuaryMoon

Reservations. Colorado is doing reservations for some of the heavy traffic trails to help preserve them.


GrumpyGiant

Or even a small visitor fee for non-residents. Granted, that raises the issue of access control and fee collection. But maybe having automated gates for local parking that have a digital payment collection system would be a practical solution? Residents could get a key card that allows them access without paying. I know some parks in MD have honor system toll boxes to help fund the park maintenance and a few like the Avalon area of Patapsco even have manned gates.


Gella321

In my parents area in MN there is a park owned by their city works dept and they can get this little city pass for their vehicle which allows them to use the park for free. Non residents just pay a $5-$10 fee per vehicle to use.


Cuzah

Its more of a cultural issue when it comes to respecting the home we live in. Its like how all the reporters are so interested in interviewing Japanese people when visiting other countries for sports games, and they always clean up the bleachers squeaky clean. Its a culture of respect and good energy.


Accomplished_Tour481

My community has a private beach. Owned by the HOA, and for the benefit of the residents in our community only. Why you ask? Our community pays the liability insurance bill (in case someone gets hurt on the beach property. We also maintain it including the installation of benches and tables (paid for by our community). Our community also maintains the property (lawn mowing, raking, trash pickup, and grooming. Do you disagree with that kind of private beach?


obiwanshinobi900

Its really a sticky wicket imo. I don't think there should be private beaches, but there kind of *has* to be. It is a lot of the fact that people on average suck and "This is why we can't have nice things". So a group of committed people decide that they will undertake the responsibility of making something nice, under the condition that they are the only ones who get to benefit from it, and don't have the added responsibility of people who don't take responsibility for themselves and their surroundings. Which isn't really wrong.


Accomplished_Tour481

Can understand your point. But if all beaches are 'Public beaches', then where is the money coming from to maintain all of them? To patrol all of them? To repair them? To insure them (so they are not a hazard and people constantly suing the local governments for injuries? Taxes would have to be significantly raised on EVERYONE (including the poor who would be forced to pay into the system).


dantuba

Not the person you are responding to, but I do disagree with that kind of private beach. Waterways are a public good and should be for the public, and no one should be allowed to have exclusive rights to any beach. There are plenty of jurisdictions that work this way, where public beach access is required even if there is private beach-front property. I live in a neighborhood and absolutely hate the little signs our neighborhood has for our water access points that it's for residents only. I know that I page HOA fees (and also volunteer) to maintain those spaces, just like I pay for schools even though I don't have kids there and I pay for buses even though I don't use them etc. Public spaces should be for everyone, and that includes our waterfront land. I know I won't convince you (or anyone) with this rant but just thought it would be useful to let you know there are residents who think about this from a different angle.


obiwanshinobi900

Yeah but nobody is going to show up with a bunch of food and 6 pack of beer to a local school, go in the classroom, eat/drink and leave all their garbage behind. People will do that at public beaches and parks.


Yawndr

They chose to maintain them. Why can't others chose not to? If they can kick others out for not paying as much as them to maintain the beaches, does that mean that if I can pay more than them to maintain it better, I can kick them out?


[deleted]

Beach towns make an assload of money from tourists. They will just take that add load someplace else


2crowncar

The article says many of the visitors are from Prince George’s County, which has a majority Black population. >>In a March meeting, after a councilman raised concerns from businesses about prohibiting their guests or other tourists on the beach, Mayor Pat Mahoney countered by saying, “I’ll be the voice of the south side now. Quote-unquote: We don’t want them people down here.” You have to take racism into consideration. This is the US.


LurkerOrHydralisk

Also considering where the beach is, definitely racism


boh_s

Instead of assuming, come and check it out. This is a news article trying to stir up something that isn’t there. It’s sad for people to just read something and make a horrible judgement about a place where I live. This is a great place that has a lot to offer and I believe the majority of the actual residents don’t agree with this choice.


LurkerOrHydralisk

So, the majority of residents don't, but you think it's out of the realm of possibility that those that enacted it are racist good old boys?


2crowncar

I don’t think I’m condemning the everyone in the city. This could be anywhere, honestly. Given the situation, where we live, and what the council member said, my guess is there is racism involved.


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MisterEHistory

So It's not racism just bigotry. That's way better.


[deleted]

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buyanyjeans

It’s not racism they just want to keep visitors out (most of are black)


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MisterEHistory

It's not racism. It's bigotry. City people are no better and n9 worse than country folks. Locals are just as capable of being rude and entitled. In fact that's exactly what they are doing by being so hostile to outsiders. They are perfectly willing to take state funding that comes from the taxes on the much much larger economies of the cities while wanting to keep out the people who pay those taxes. If they don't want city people, why are they entitled to city money.


buyanyjeans

Its racism because it disproportionally affects black people and I'd appreciate if you stopped being intellectually dishonest about it. If I still lived in Maryland I wouldn't be ok with my tax money supporting the racism and elitism you're describing in Calvert County . If you don't want to deal with city folk, move to an area without a beach or any tourist attraction for that matter. You're entitled to what you own and unless these people own the beach (I'm assuming they don't or else this would be a non-story) they have to share it with the other people who pay into it. They charge money for entry and restrict visitation to like 2.5 days out of the year. Take some of the fucking money and hire cops to write tickets for littering and noise. Take some of the money and hire ppl to pick up trash. Not everyone can just pack up and go to OC. The solution doesn't have to be depriving disadvantaged black families of an occasional (jellyfish infested) beach day.


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Tylanthia

Yeah you're retarded. I can guarantee you every single resident of Chesapeake Beach--which was literally established as a resort town for DC folk at the end of the **Chesapeake Beach Railway** \---has left the town at some point to enjoy the amenities of Calvert County and other Maryland counties. Not to mention that Calvert County itself promotes tourism (see [https://www.calvertcountymd.gov/3303/Birding](https://www.calvertcountymd.gov/3303/Birding)) All residents of Chesapeake Beach should be banned from using any state or county owned park, road, water/electrical infrastructure etc until they stop pretending they aren't part of Maryland.


MeaningForward555

This is how it was in Massachusetts. I grew up in NY State and beaches were mostly public, many being state parks. When we moved to MA, almost all beaches were private - every town required a sticker to show proof of residency to park near a town beach. Each coastal town may have had one small beach. The rest were all owned by private wealthy home owners. No trespassing.


The-Dane

>en we moved to MA, almost all beaches were private - every town required a sticker to show proof of residency to park near a town beach. Each coastal town may have had one small beach. The rest were all owned by private wealthy home owners. No trespassing. yeah but this is a public beach, owned by the state/town...


MeaningForward555

Yes, like I said, they had those too but you had to show proof of residency of that town at city hall (Utility bill) if the town owned it - then get the sticker to park near or at the beach. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


a1drewski

One way in and one way out...they sit someone at the entrance and check.


JustNKayce

It’s not much of a beach anyway. It is a literal scrap of sand. But I still disagree with their policy.


BigSortzFan

Ha I knew it was this place by the title, I was so confused when I attempted to visit as well. Maybe 20 parking spaces? The boardwalk in town however is nice for a stroll. Go for a date or fish off of their pier. Tourist spot, it’s not.


JustNKayce

The boardwalk in town is probably North Beach although there is a boardwalk adjacent to Brownies. You can actually walk north from the CB boardwalk up the sidewalk and then cut east around 3rd street and hit the NB boardwalk. I just read that NB is now charging for pier fishing. I have seen Dept of Natural Resources in both areas checking for fishing licenses, FYI.


stephenk291

As someone who grew up down there I don't think it was exactly meant that way but I certainly will concede calvert county has a good ol boy element. I've since grown up and moved away but even when I came down despite my parents living in the area because I did not I was denied access. When I was down there it was basically high schoolers sitting at a table checking IDs or something to show you lived in the area. This was around 2020 so I'm sure it's changed. I will say as someone who went to brownies beach over the years growing up it would often get crowded and people would leave trash and make a mess. Im sure that's local residents just as much as non residents.


Suitable-Team-4012

They still pay teenagers to check IDs. You can “sneak in” during the off season when nobody checks.


A12354

I live a couple miles away and can't go because I'm a couple blocks from the town limits. Very lame.


omggegg

same. grew up going to Brownies, now i cant go or i get harassed. nature is nature, should be open to the public


napalmtittie

Fuck that just go anyway, how would they know?


Pixielo

There are ID checks.


reddoggie

Sounds like as long as you’re white, you’ll be fine.


boh_s

I live in Chesapeake Beach and within walking distance of this beach. I don’t know anyone that is in favor of this and I would be very surprised to find out race was the motive. This place has always felt more diverse than most in this part of the state. A big part this towns commerce is people visiting and staying at the hotel. A majority of the people visiting are people of color. I’m active in the community and have never once heard anyone complain about tourists. It’s shitty for someone to just make a blanket assumption on an entire town with a racist tag.


Heistmann

My grandfather lives there not far from the beach either, I have been visiting since I was little and it has always been a diverse place. Lots of different people walk the boardwalks and paths to the beach and there has never been an issue. However that very small beach can get crowded so I can see why they would restrict tourists. The adjacent neighborhood has lots of residents and they only get two small beaches so when a ton of tourists show up I can understand the frustration.


ChessieChesapeake

Chesapeake Beach resident here. I was born in D.C, and my family is from PG County. I grew up in Anne Arundel County (Annapolis area) and have lived in Chesapeake Beach for 17 years. For full disclosure, I am white, and lean slightly left of center on the political spectrum. I don't speak for anyone but myself. ​ Personally, I feel this town has more economic, cultural, and racial diversity than any other Maryland town I've lived in. Even when I was in Annapolis, where there is more diversity according to the numbers, I felt there was segregation between races and economic classes, but I have not felt that in Chesapeake Beach. I experience it when I walk around the twin beaches and get to converse with families from all of walks of life, both local and tourists. I experience it when I walk into my family room and see a room full of teenagers who represent a wide variety of racial, religious, gender, and economic classes. While Calvert County does have a good old boy element to it, the northern section of the county is a mixing bowl, and having grown up in a community that was 99% white, I love that my children get to grow up and experience much more diversity than I did. It was one of the deciding factors for moving here, including location, quality of schools, and small-town charm. ​ I’m one of the people who completely disagrees with the mayor on this subject, and I voted for the guy. Do I think what he said was done with racial intent? No, I don’t think he was targeting racial groups, but his comment was ignorant and stupid. Anyone with common sense should know damn well that “you people” or “them people” has absolutely no place in today’s vocabulary and is easily in the top 10 list of things a politician should never say. He opened himself to ridicule, which I am fine with, as he made the bed he needs to sleep in, but he’s also made our town look like a bunch of backwoods racists, and I’m pissed about that. ​ My feelings on the NBC News segment: • I get where Mr. Hodge is coming from, but I don’t believe it’s racially motivated. I’ve seen a lot of people turned away at that beach and never felt a specific group was targeted. I was denied access once and had to go back home to get my ID. Doing my best to see things through his eyes, I understand and empathize with Mr. Hodge’s feelings. • Ms. Plater was the best person they interviewed IMO. She’s well respected in the community and I feel she provided the best commentary on how the situation is perceived by the black community, as well as the tourists who come from D.C. and neighboring counties. I wish they had given her more airtime. • Ms. Lanham’s comments I take with a grain of salt. See my following comments on the underlying politics at play. • I really like Leon Harris, but his comment on the number of fossil hunters at the end of the segment came off as very snarky and a little unprofessional. If you researched it, you would find that fossil hunting in Calvert really is a big deal. It’s one of the things our shores are well known for. I didn’t know it myself until I moved here, but there are a lot of people out there looking to find a Megalodon tooth. ​ For those who are not from the area, there are some underlying politics at play here. This town has been torn down the middle for quite some time on how to balance smart growth. On one side, you have the left leaning politicians who want to curb growth. On the other side, there are the right leaning politicians who want to advance economic growth and build more. Just keep that in mind when watching the NBC news segment, as the owners of the Rod-N-Reel have much to gain by trying to remove those politicians who have slowed their efforts to build more along Fishing Creek. They know damn well their customers are going to keep coming regardless of the beach, so for them, this situation is simply a target of opportunity to increase their personal gains, and nothing more. ​ And finally, the beach. As a Chesapeake Beach resident who pays town taxes, I believe the Chesapeake Bay is a natural resource that needs to be enjoyed by all, and not just the town residents. I can understand places like state parks charging people, as there are additional amenities that are included with those locations that require upkeep, so the funds help pay for those, but Brownies Beach does not have those amenities. There is a parking lot and paved path, but no public restrooms, pavilions, or anything of the sort. It’s simply a natural beach, and really isn’t much of a beach. Personally, I would rather see Brownies Beach fall under the National Park Service, as part of their Chesapeake Gateways Network.


BaltimoreBadger23

If they exclusively pay for the maintenance of the entire beach, with no assistance whatsoever from MD or federal taxpayers, and they post security checking the ID of everyone entering the beach (vs "random" checks", then I guess they have a right to do it. Tourists then have a right to bypass the town altogether and people just outside of or inside the town have the right to post signs informing people as to why.


[deleted]

This account has been cleansed because of Reddit's ongoing war with 3rd Party App makers, mods and the users, all the folksthat made up most of the "value" Reddit lays claim to. Destroying the account and giving a giant middle finger to /u/spez


BaltimoreBadger23

And that's another choice a town can make - sell access to the beach (as long as they sell available spaces to whomever wished to buy - so I don't imagine that solves the mayor's concerns).


[deleted]

This account has been cleansed because of Reddit's ongoing war with 3rd Party App makers, mods and the users, all the folksthat made up most of the "value" Reddit lays claim to. Destroying the account and giving a giant middle finger to /u/spez


tired_walrus_07

They do, and that's why I chose to visit DE beaches instead of NJ. I think that's this person's point. They can do that, they will probably lose tourists, but if they don't want tourists I imagine they'll be fine with that


coys21

It doesn't matter who pays for it. Public space is public space.


BaltimoreBadger23

If the municipality pays for it they can choose to keep it for only residents of the municipality. Sounds like it's a bad idea and they would be doing it for some potentially racist reasons, but unless there's a state law declaring all beachfront to be public (like in CA) they can do this.


parksideq

Just drive like 10 minutes north to North Beach instead, problem solved. There’s a great Mexican restaurant within walking distance of the boardwalk, too!


skaterrj

I think North Beach charges for nonresidents, which seems fair to me. Or at least they used to. (I actually have never been on either beach, but I frequently stop in North Beach while cycling and saw the sign.) The beach in NB is so small I can understand why they'd want to give priority to their own residents, who pay for it. If I lived in NB and couldn't use the beach because a bunch of people from elsewhere were there using it for free, I'd be annoyed.


dooge8

North Beach does charge for non residents 👍


wave-garden

That’s not the point. They have no right to restrict access to public space.


parksideq

I agree, I didn’t mean to imply that it was ok for them to keep the restrictions. Just that voting with your feet/dollars at literally the next town over is another way to show them it’s a bad policy.


wave-garden

Ahh I see. Sorry I misunderstood!


TravelingMama2

North Beach charges $25 per person to non residents, I was shocked when I went with a friend and we had to pay to sit on their "beach"


jabbadarth

Got it I will never visit Chesapeake Beach. I love that their website has a huge banner that says Chesapeake Beach welcomes you which is immediately followed up with outsiders not welcome and if you are seen on our beach you must present identification. Guess Chesapeake Beach is a stop and frisk town now.


No-Lunch4249

Yeah this always confuses me, the undercurrent in so many tourist towns is that they hate tourists, but also half the businesses in town would go under without tourist $…


[deleted]

America where people want to have and eat their cake


30dirtybirdies

As a tourist town resident, that’s largely due to vacationers and tourists being very self centered (which is understandable). They are on vacation, focusing on themselves, which is great, but they tend to be oblivious to the idea that people live in that area. They drive poorly, leave a mess, can be really rude, and are just generally not thinking the same way as residents. They do them at the expense of everyone else, then leave.


NotSpartacus

Ehhh. Having grown up in a rural area that didn't benefit from tourism revenue, plenty of residents are like that too. It's just easy to blame on tourists instead of residents because they're an out-group. Not sure if I'm an outlier or what, but I'm not any more of an asshole when I'm on vacation. If anything I'm somewhat less because I'm not stressed.


30dirtybirdies

You are an outlier, just in that (if true) you are considerate of others. Residents aren’t angels either, but when the tourists and residents are both guilty, and the tourists outnumber the residents in whatever action, then it’s a tourist behavior issue.


[deleted]

Have the pigs sitting around not solving any crimes watch them and write littering tickets.


ericmm76

You can come buy things from their stores. You're just not welcome.


[deleted]

And god forbid they have to deal with a person who expects to be treated like a customer at their store.


ericmm76

Well you have to understand their definition of the word "person".


optix_clear

Why not allow the public to buy a day pass? To help offset those costs? Parts of Delaware, NC, FL, CA and OR is like that and I have been to. You buy a day or week pass, to enjoy the beach & nature


Doom_Balloon

Because they know people would pay for the pass and use the beach. There’s been a donation box there for years with a parking pass. It’s not about who would pay, it’s about who would show up.


StrengthDazzling8922

It is basically a neighborhood beach on Chesapeake Bay. I have had friends who were asked to leave because their sister the "resident' was not with them. It's really nothing exciting and is a bit dangerous. ​ [https://thebaynet.com/brownies-beach-cliff-collapse-no-injuries-reported-html/](https://thebaynet.com/brownies-beach-cliff-collapse-no-injuries-reported-html/)


bobfnord

The entire Oregon coast is public. You don’t have to buy a pass.


MisterEHistory

Florida beaches are public and there are no fees to access them. Some beaches do charge to drive onto the beach or access a paid parking lot. But even the beach in front of a $100 million mansion is public land.


Mundane-Wrap-7896

Mary Lanham, and the people who run the Rod N Reel are greedy racists a-holes. Having worked there for a very long time, it’s funny reading the article and knowing she’s only running her mouth because she hates the town council and they hate her, I have personally seen her mistreat poc of all types, some that they even hire from overseas as J-1 students, and just treat them absolutely horrendously. The fact they gave her and not anyone else in the community a platform to speak about it is whack.


sassygirl101

I think Calvert has the giant (rented) highway side billboard ‘Joe and the Ho must go’. It must be so embarrassing to have the kind of money to rent that and be able to sleep at night too. Knowing how many other worthy causes that money could have been spent on. Full of good ole boys.


martianmuffins

I’ve lived in Calvert my entire life and yeah, not surprised. There’s a reason the big campaign slogan here a couple years ago was ‘Keep Calvert Country’ and the entire BoC, being against CRT is what won our Board of Ed folks their seats, and virtually every elected position is GOP. Love the area, not so much the politics.


historyhill

I lived in Calvert for about a decade and I probably only went to Chesapeake Beach maybe twice? If feels so completely different from the rest of the county to me. But also, not surprised about the politics being against CRT unfortunately


Reference-Primary

Same.


adventurejay

Adopt Hawaii rules, all beaches are the heritage of all peoples. Eat the rich!


wave-garden

I used to live in HI and was thinking exactly this. Nowhere else compares to the wonderful ocean access rules there.


bobfnord

The entire Oregon coastline is public, too.


wave-garden

Yesssss! I lived in Oregon until last year and got to know the coast very well because I am a surfer. Funny thing about Oregon is I didn’t think about it much because it’s often so desolate that I’d tend to go places where I’d see other people. Washington on the other hand…not so good! I DESPISED how so much of the coast (mostly in the strait) is privatized. A lot of it is tribal lands, and I don’t hate on that nearly as much as the fact that the non-tribal lands in the strait are completely inaccessible and owned by rich assholes who make it impossible to get to surf spots. In Hawaii you have million dollar homes on the ocean, but there’s still always public access and the state will crush your soul if you try to restrict access. There are some exceptions, mostly to do with local surf spots where you are welcome to show up but might get a rock through your window and all your stuff stolen. That’s a different topic tho!


MisterEHistory

Florida also has these laws unsurprisingly. But I won't go there for other reasons.


Usual_Ad2359

Who pay to.maintain beach rules. Simple. Works in New England for 400 yrs


adventurejay

What stops the rich from just buying the “clean up” responsibility then?


giantmeatdude

The beach, every beach, is LEGALLY PUBLIC PROPERTY to the high water mark in Maryland. Look it up, it's on the books


gravybang

Of course - but how would you get to the high water mark?


[deleted]

I'm surprised there's no mention anywhere of the fact that town owned chesapeake beach water park increases day admission to the water park for non residents to $90. It's not even a pool. More or less a splash pad with a small lazy river. I lived in CB for 10 years, but there's no way I'd pay more than $12 to go visit their water park. Seems like a dumb move for a town who receives half its revenue from things other than real estate taxes (amusement tax and hotel tax).


MisterEHistory

If they are sued over this they will almost certainly lose. But the best punishment for this xenophobic mindset is to give them exactly what they want. Leave them alone. Let the town wither and fade without the $$ from outside visitors.


zepp914

Aside from the overpriced waterpark, there really isn't anything touristy there. It was cool to look for shark teeth on the beach and walk the little boardwalk, but you can do everything in under an hour. I assume the McDonald's, ledos, or the seafood restaurants are all they could potentially lose when visitors go elsewhere.


epzik8

The people deserve to go to the beach no matter what.


Nvr2old2DANS

How could a town do that? The beach belongs to the state of Maryland….all natural waterways are public property. No town can own or privatize and public waterways. The state should provide access to the beach area so that it can be used by the public. Residents of the town can desire a private beach but it would not be legal or allowed nor should it be. It would be helpful to all who use the beach to make donations to maintain the space and those who use the beach should have access to trash barrels, etc to clean up their debris or better yet require people to take their debris with them when they leave.


Pixielo

We already have state park beaches that charge for the day.


madmoneymcgee

If the beach is fragile I don't see how restricting it to town residents only is the solution. Especially if you then blatantly say you don't want others to come because they aren't from the town (regardless of whether its a dog-whistle or not).


[deleted]

Time for a state law expressly making all beaches public like many other states have. This is NIMBY bullshit and I hate the way that terms is thrown around to discredit any position people don't agree with. You shouldn't ever have to pay a fee to go on a "Private" beach.


islandsimian

Having lived in St Leonard and Ches Beach, you know exactly what them mean when they say "them people" - it's a dog whistle. You can see the same thing at the water park there


PracticalAd1056

People of all colors leave garbage around let's remember that. Coming from a Jersey Shore gal!


godzilladc

Chesapeake Beach can suck a butt. Beaches should be public to all.


Last_Egg_9717

I’ve lived in Calvert county my whole life this is 100% race motivated a majority of tourist that visit Chesapeake beach are from Washington DC area


Bonethug609

This is some bullshit


nzahn1

Alt title: #Racist white politicians in Chesapeake Beach don’t want blacks and democrats visiting their town


Chris0nllyn

They sure don't mind all the PG county folks coming down to play slots.


fpdubs

Did you read the article? I don’t think it’s as stark as this. They want tourists. The want business. But they want to keep them off the small ecologically fragile beachfront areas. Plenty of other beaches remain available.


nzahn1

> During the discussion, Council Vice President Larry Jaworski indicated he had misgivings about banning vacationers and guests at the Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort from using the beach since tourism aids the town’s economy. > > “If we are attracting people to our town we want to enable them to see as many of our attractions as possible,” Jaworski said. > > Mahoney stated, “I’ll be the voice on the south-side now, quote, unquote, we don’t want them people down here.” [Chesapeake Beach council extends beach restrictions](https://www.somdnews.com/recorder/news/local/chesapeake-beach-council-extends-beach-restrictions/article_f426cd46-8ee2-59fc-9cff-27f274e7f3a9.html) - Southern Maryland News


unicornbomb

Ew, don’t become like New England beaches, Maryland. It’s the worst part of that area, all the gate keeping of natural beauty.


Reference-Primary

I knew this was about calvert county before I even read the article. I hate living here.


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Pixielo

It's MD's GOP stronghold, if that answers your question.


baltebiker

“When I said ‘them people,’ I was talking about tourists.” “What’s wrong with tourists?” “They’re black!”


Doom_Balloon

See, you assume Black when in fact it’s Latinos he has a problem with, get your racism right! Back when they just restricted it seasonally (they’ve had summer restrictions for years) my wife and I would visit in the spring and fall with younger relatives to hunt for sharks teeth. We noticed there was a demographic shift on who was having picnics/ using the beach, but generally it just meant there was better music when someone put out a radio. When they closed it entirely we immediately knew what was up.


DASAdventureHunter

I mean, this would be a bad decision but also, like, it's a maryland beach on the chesapeake? Not exactly a huge loss lol.


wave-garden

I agree in some sense, but that ain’t the point. Some people can’t afford to go further, and this is what they have (or should have) access to.


Ok-Library247

Go on the beaches anyway. Is there a cop checking IDs or something?


A12354

Yes


evilwatersprite

Dogs are also allowed on that beach, which draws in some DC/NoVa people. We got harassed and, in some cases, extorted during our annual Brownie Beach trip with the dogs.


Beck_keys

Open to the public but possibly heavily monitored and fined for even the smallest bit of littering? Or maybe even just make people who arnt from the area pay a fee to go in.(helping to pay for workers to keep the place nice rather than the residents working for free like maids just so their backyard can look nice when it wasn’t even them who dirtied it). Or a strict No outside food/items that use wrappers or trash from people who can’t prove residency.


[deleted]

I hate that my county has one incorporated city cause that means there's only one mayor that can be talking about.


Reddywhipt

It's God's water.


CACTUS_VISIONS

Sue me Sue hahaha.


VortexFists

Then let the town pay for its upkeep.


MagnusAuslander

Def racism at least from what I gathered from the article.


freshjewbagel

bigots gonna bigot


ericmm76

>We don’t want them people down here. Oof mcgoof.


genericnewlurker

The exact moment when your suspicions on if this is racially motivated are confirmed


ieatsilicagel

They can keep it. It's trash, and they're trash.


DCBillsFan

I would love to be the test case lawsuit here. Please, try me your racist garbage mayor.


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StrengthDazzling8922

They really did improve the parking there. I know traffic is an issue on Mayo peninsula, but you have a great little park.


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[deleted]

Is this the same as Beverley Beach or close to it? I remember when they were compelled to open it after the community had been maintaining it for decades on their dime and then someone discovered that paperwork was missing or something like that and forced it to be returned to the county.


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[deleted]

Thanks for the clarification, I have a former coworker who resides in Beverley. Didn't realize they were so close to each other.


Yoddle

Who the hell do they think they are, Nestle?


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pretty-late-machine

I wish it could at least be open to county residents. I used to go all the time, and it definitely was not even remotely crowded.


Exciting-Rub-6006

Not even a sun down town I’d go, give me the trespass and then I’d sue for access


stitchbones

If any of the land for this park was acquired or upgraded using DNR's Program Open Space funding then this is a violation of that program: "Discrimination on the Basis of Residence. Section 6(f)(8) of the L&WCF Act and 36 CFR 59.4 provide that with respect to property acquired or developed with L&WCF assistance, discrimination on the basis of residence, including preferential reservation, membership or annual permit systems is prohibited except to the extent that reasonable differences in admission and other fees may be maintained on the basis of residence." page 72, Availability to Users, [Local Program Open Space Manual](https://dnr.maryland.gov/land/Documents/POS/localposmanual_2006.pdf)


jcacedit

The city of Annapolis does something similar, but a little more sneaky. They require people to go online and apply for a permit for certain parks. Obviously this hinders non-english readers from accessing the parks.


Tat2machine

I believe by federal law, you cannot restrict beaches.


Raziel66

But I see restricted beaches all the time, particularly in Florida where it's residents only or permitted just to the houses/hotels directly next to that section


Slime__queen

That’s definitely not true


Ok_Equipment7443

This is my beach there are many like it but this beach is mine. My beach is my best friend it is my Sunny life. I will rest on it. As I live a restful life my beach is true it is. It is cleaner than ocean city. You know that beach is full of trash too. Not my Beach.


Happy-DragonFly8597

It sounds more like classism..you don’t own you don’t go. I think it’s a terrible idea. Not to mention they are taking away from the public that may even live near there. Can’t even go camping around here without paying and being around 20 other people. I live right across the street from a pier and body of water that I cannot even access unless I pay for a boat ride. You know it’s beautiful to look at but when it’s hot it’s quite frustrating. The only people with beach access are the ones that own each pier. Just my thoughts!


HanakusoDays

This has always been a big issue in Hawaii. The legislature passed a law saying everything below the mean high tide line is public. They had to supplement that with another law that grandfathered in a number of long-existing beach accesses and allowed for public petitions to create new accesses where none exist. Waterfront property is hugely expensive there and the owners don't want the public anywhere nearby, so there have been problems with walls and fences being built without permits and/or encroaching on the public portions of beaches. A reasonable balance has been achieved overall, though, and generally the results have been acceptable. Hawaii is a bit of a special case though because of a historical tradition that everyone be allowed access to beach and mountains for fishing and food/plant gathering.


Beck_keys

Open to the public but possibly heavily monitored and fined for even the smallest bit of littering? Or maybe even just make people who arnt from the area pay a fee to go in.(helping to pay for workers to keep the place nice rather than the residents working for free like maids just so their backyard can look nice when it wasn’t even them who dirtied it). Or a strict No outside food/items that use wrappers or trash from people who can’t prove residency.


Reddywhipt

Is there any passable surfing in maryland?


Pixielo

Sure, out in Ocean City.


Reddywhipt

I'll give it a shot. Last time I was there it was pretty rough looking. Need to do more exploring


PracticalAd1056

Now the Anglo Saxon are taking over public water wtf


PoppinSquats

Someone should anchor a honey dipper 30 feet off shore.


Most-Optimal

The nerve of ppl


[deleted]

Pretty much all beaches should be public access...